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Storage of Humira during long-term travel

Hi all... my 26 yr old son is heading out on a traveling/camping adventure for the next month and a half before he goes off to college. He currently injects Humira every 2 weeks. Any suggestions on how to store his doses while he travels? He'll have a pickup truck w/cooler. Would it be ok in the cooler as long as it doesn't freeze? He is also considering a 12 volt fridge but we know that can run his battery dead when the truck is parked. Or, he has his route mapped out... what about locating pharmacy's along the way and seeing if he can set up arrangements to get his injection direct from the pharmacy?

I'm excited that he is getting this opportunity and hope that he is able to maintain his Humira schedule to avoid getting sick while traveling. Any suggestions?
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
So questions
If he gets one shot every two weeks
Will he need 2 or three shots during his trip ?
Does he have all of the syringes /pens already ?
Will have access to electricity at the camp sites ?
Humira can be stored at room temp for up to 14 days ( I think call the humira line)
But room temp is not summer temp
And definitely not inside a truck in the summer temp
Other issue is humira freezes easily

Would not recommend skipping doses since it can cause the medicine to not work later (this happened woth Ds -doc ordered us to stop humira for six weeks due to surgery )
Didn’t work when we restarted it

Also holding /delaying humira can cause a flare of crohns which would not be good for college


http://saidsupport.org/keeping-medications-cold-while-traveling/

Article on types of bags
Key you need a thermometer on the bag next to the meds
And then keep
The bag on a cooler with ice /frozen gel packs
But again the thermometer is there so it doesn’t get too cold

Read the article lots of tips
Frio bags also work (used for insulin same temp range )
 
Hey My Little Penguin... thank you for the quick reply!!

I think he will have two injections on the road. He'll inject just before he leaves so that will leave two more injections.
Does he have all of the syringes /pens already? Yes, he already has the syringes.

Will have access to electricity at the camp sites? They will be camping off grid, so assume no electricity. He may purchase a 12 volt fridge but will have to be careful not to drain his truck battery.

Humira can be stored at room temp for up to 14 days ( I think call the humira line). Excellent idea... I'll have him call today!!

But room temp is not summer temp -- Copy that!!

And definitely not inside a truck in the summer temp ... exactly!

Other issue is humira freezes easily... that's what I thought. I was on Humira myself for 5 years and had a dose freeze. I'm going to look into the bag with a thermometer for him!

Thank you so much! I'm so excited for him and want to be sure he has the best time possible without sacrificing his health.
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
Humira (or any other water-based solution) won't freeze if stored in a non-electric ice chest/cooler with ice to keep it cold. In such an ice chest the heat is slowly flowing into the chest and melting the ice. The net flow of energy is into the chest. Thus any liquid water that is placed in the chest will cool down to the temperature inside the chest (presumably near 0 deg. C) but will not freeze because the heat is flowing in the wrong direction.

Now if you put it in an electric cooler that is set at 0 deg. C and it is constantly pulling heat out of the chest to maintain that temperature, then there is a danger of the Humira freezing - much like a can of soda put in a fridge with the temp set too low.
 
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